2,000 Years in the Making – Brightcove Helps Bring The JESUS Film Project® to Millions Via the Internet
The JESUS Film Project distributes the film JESUS, a two-hour docudrama about the life of Jesus based on the Gospel of Luke. The film has been seen in every country of the world and translated into more than 1,000 languages since its initial release in 1979. It ranks among the most widely seen films in history.
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Having engagement rates increase so much in such a short period of time shows we are headed in the right direction with Video Cloud.”
Technical Team Leader in the Digital Media Distribution department for The JESUS Film Project
Situation
Since its theatrical release in 1979, JESUS has been translated into 1,122 languages and shown in 228 nations. While it has been available in 16 mm, DVD, VHS, and audio-only formats for many years, the advent and growth of online video have provided a renewed opportunity to reach a broad international audience. But first, The JESUS Film Project needed a simple, yet robust online video distribution solution.
“For the past 30 years, our ministry has focused on physical media as our main distribution strategy,” said Gabe Handy, Technical Team Leader in the Digital Media Distribution department for The JESUS Film Project. “We have dabbled in online video streaming and we have learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t work. Now we are in the midst of making online video our primary distribution method, and we needed a partner to help us ensure a smooth transition.”
Solution
Brightcove Video Cloud online video platform April, 2010
ROI
- Simplified distribution across a wide variety of platforms.
- Increased reliability and performance.
- Better measurement and viewer analytics.
Brightcove Attributes
Innovative, Easy, Integrated
Sharing a Timeless Story Through Modern Technology
With the Brightcove Video Cloud online video platform, The JESUS Film Project is being seen by more viewers than ever before, while increasing the length of viewer engagement. After switching to Video Cloud, more than 10 percent of online viewers watched an hour or more of JESUS without interruption.
“Our main goal was to give more people a chance to learn about Jesus no matter where they are geographically, and no matter their technical limitations on the Internet,” Gabe said. “Having engagement rates increase so much in such a short period of time shows we are headed in the right direction with Video Cloud.”
In an average month, The JESUS Film Project receives 46,438 views from more than 182 different countries. Video Cloud gives Gabe and his team more accurate statistics on viewership, with better metrics that make reporting and comparison easier than ever before.
“We are also getting positive feedback about people’s viewing experiences, with fewer troubleshooting emails,” Gabe said. “From a technical perspective, Video Cloud has been an unqualified success.”
Future Plans
Bringing JESUS to mobile platforms and social media is the next step in The JESUS Film Project’s 30-year journey, as Gabe and his team continue to evaluate and embrace other emerging devices and technologies, such as connected TVs.
“Because we are serving a global audience that gets its information from a variety of sources, we need to be strategic in where we invest our time and resources,” Gabe said. “The message has been the same for more than 2,000 years, but the technology is always changing—learning to adapt to those changes is key to sharing the gospel in the future.”
